Opening of refuge delayed until further notice

Byline2:

The Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge have been delayed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the agency administering the Freshwater Diversion Canal repair project, said it will not be able to meet their projected completion date of June 1 for repairs being done along the wildlife drive. A new reopening date has not yet been determined.

In addition to extending the wildlife drive closure, the Corps has also requested that portions of the trail system north of S.C. 170 be closed as they begin to transition their work to the upper part of the canal. Several trails in this area remain open, as well as the Kingfisher Pond Recreation Area, located off of U.S. 17.

Visitors are asked to call 784-2468 or stop by the Savannah NWR Visitor Center for information and maps regarding trail closures.

Updates on trail closures and the reopening of the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive will also be posted at www.fws.gov/savannah

Savannah NWR is one of more than 550 national wildlife refuges located throughout the United States. The nearly 30,000-acre refuge is home to bald eagles, neo-tropical migratory songbirds, large concentrations of wading birds and wintering ducks, and American alligators. The Savannah NWR Visitor Center is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday; closed Sundays and all federal holidays.